Hardtops, conning towers, wheelhouses and the like are known in the marine or maritime industry. Many boats, such as fishing vessels, cruisers, and yachts, utilize superstructures such as elevated hardtops with windscreens, windshields, or windows to shield boaters from sea spray, rain, and wind.
Conventional marine windshields suffer from a variety of drawbacks. As shown in FIG. 19, for instance, attaching a windscreen 9 to a metal hardtop or tower frame 7 is usually accomplished by drilling holes, or molding apertures or notches, in or near a perimeter of the windscreen 9. The windscreen 9 is typically made of transparent thermoplastic such as Plexiglas® or Lucite® brand materials. The thermoplastic windscreen 9 is then affixed to portions 11 of the hardtop frame 7 using bolts or screws 13 connected through the holes or apertures as shown in FIG. 19. Once the bolts 13 are tightened they eventually weaken the areas of glass 9 near the holes. Over time, the weakened areas of the windscreen 9 crack and “spiderweb” as indicated at element number 15 in FIG. 19. This is not only unsightly, but the spider-webbed glass 15 can be unsafe when the view through the windscreen 9 becomes opaque or obscured. Moreover, the windscreen 9 can even break away from the bolt 13 and frame 7. At the very least, replacing or repairing a cracked windscreen 9 is an expense that most boaters would rather avoid.
Another drawback of conventional marine window attachments is that a complete, watertight seal is not formed between the windscreen 9 and the frame 7 as shown in FIG. 19. As shown, the bolted windscreen 9 leaves a gap between the glass 9 and frame 7, which permits water and wind to penetrate and douse a boater positioned behind the windscreen 9. Also, the subsequently formed cracks 15 in the windscreen 9 will allow water and wind to enter a wheelhouse.
What is needed in the marine industry is a system for attaching windshields to boat superstructures without weakening the windshields, which will also provide a weatherproof seal between the windshields and frames.